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Pit of Revelation
(formerly) |Row 6 title = |Row 6 info = |Row 7 title = |Row 7 info = |caption = Reference Art}} The Pit of Revelation is a mysterious location referred to in the documents of the Raven Conclave. It is traditionally identified as the birthplace of the religion, where Barean Westwind first received his revelation and where successive generations of Raven Priests were reborn. As far as can be gathered, it was once a part of the subterranean kingdom of Azjol'Nerub, though its exact location is unknown. Geography The Pit of Revelation is Nerubian in origin, though it is on the periphery of their underground dominion. The Pit of Revelation itself is actually a sacrificial pit in the heart of a larger colony; however, the Conclave seems to apply the name to both the colony and the pit itself, with the portions of the colony not directly devoted to religious purposes alternatively bearing the name Thaelgarde, a crude amalgamation of Archaic Common and Eredun that roughly translates to "the Raven for the Light" or "Raven stronghold." The Pit of Revelation is known to be accessible from the Dragonblight, as numerous pilgrimages were made there well before the Onslaught had expanded into Icecrown; however, given the continent-spanning network of tunnels that is Azjol'Nerub, none outside the chosen of the Raven (and perhaps the rotting bones of a few choice Nerubians) could attest to where exactly it is in relation to the surface world. The colony can be said to encompass one primary tunnel shaft and its tributaries, many of which intersect. This primary tunnel runs for at least a mile under the surface before emerging into a large cavern. The cavern is half-filled with a small underground lake from which the Nerubians (and now the Conclave) drew their nourishment in the forms of fresh water and fish. Built in the center of this lake is an upraised platform of Nerubian architecture containing the Pit itself, accessible via sets of heavy stone staircases leading across the lake. Thaelgarde The Scarlet settlement known as Thaelgarde is centered in the large central cavern at the heart of the former Nerubian colony. It is a relatively sparse hamlet, as it has never had many permanent residents, with little more than a few stone-and-timber buildings constructed using spare materials from the surface. Most notably they have a barracks, an armory, a warehouse, and a few small individual homesteads constructed in this style, likely used by Conclave leadership and visiting Scarlet dignitaries. A small wooden pier has also been constructed for the purposes of controlling and using the lake, and a gates have been erected barring the entrances from the tunnels, usually with murder holes carved straight into the cavern walls to allow for a modicum of defensibility. Thaelgarde rarely has a population greater than a few dozen persons, and never over a hundred. The elite of the Raven Conclave and a few chosen Scarlet Onslaught guardians are the only truly permanent residents; even other Raven Priests and Dreadnaughts are typically simple pilgrims from other Onslaught holdouts. The Pit The sacrificial pit itself is by far the grandest structure in the vicinity. It is completely encircled by walls in the style of the Middle Kingdom of Azjol'Nerub, with several high pillars reaching upwards towards the cavern ceiling, and it can only be approached via the stone staircases built above the lake. The floor is a polished dark stone ring that runs almost half a mile in circumference, with intermittent platforms jutting inwards overlooking the pit itself. These platforms are typically also built in a Nerubian architectural style, with spider-like designs chased in gold, though Raven iconography has slowly been added over the years. The pit itself cannot truly be described, as it is, at its heart, a void. Those attempting to fathom its depths will be able to make out maybe ten to twenty feet of its cylindrical walls reaching down into the darkness, but that is all. The darkness within the pit is not a natural one that could be illuminated by lowering lanterns into its depths; it is a deep magical miasma that actively consumes all light that enters. It is doubtful that the pit is truly bottomless, but it might as well be, given that no being's body or soul would survive the first hundred yards' of their descent into its depths intact. The pit gives off a radiating feeling of unease and emptiness, leaving those in its presence feeling drained and lethargic, yet also strangely released from their worldly shackles. The amorality and depravity of the Raven ideology can perhaps be attributed, in part, to long exposure to this dark rapture, which disconnects them from both the Light and their own sense of empathy and humanity.Category:Raven Conclave Category:Northrend Locations Category:Religion Category:Scarlet Onslaught Category:Azjol-Nerub Locations Category:Strongarm's Onslaught